


redemption

by sten06



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: After the Fall, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Canon Compliant, F/F, Post-Reign, all the things, happy ending of course, reigns new suit!!!, they're so cute I love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-26 23:30:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14412819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sten06/pseuds/sten06
Summary: after the fall of reign, and the rise of a new hero, alex isn't sure what to expect....or if sam remembers her at all.a little angst, a little fluff, a little smut. gang's all here!





	redemption

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by an anon request for alex's reaction to sam's new super suit (post-reign).
> 
> also thanks to plastic-pipes drawings of sam's new suit; i chose "redeemed", the auxillary one to base this fic off of!  
> link to work: https://plastic-pipes.tumblr.com/post/168708818308/i-want-sam-to-stay-forever-t-t-please-do-not
> 
> oh and for the love of rao + hades, don't ask me where ruby is for this....she's with a babysitter or something okay? this is not for children, lmfao

She sees her on TV, first.

A hero with hands on her hips; The face of a champion with a Kryptonian heart and a jawline that rivals a Luthor’s. The new suit flashes across the screen, red and black and sleek, the silver boots reflecting the sunlight just so. Her face is unmasked, but what catches Alex’s eye is the headline that screams “REDEMPTION”.

It isn’t by choice to see her this way, but Alex hasn’t been successful in finding the right time to see for herself -- to have an uninterrupted moment with Sam in person --  to prove that she really is okay. To find out whether or not she really is still _her_.

There isn’t a convenient time to have your heart broken, Alex thinks. So she procrastinates the inevitable. It’s supposed to be a happy ending, and it is, for everyone else. Reign is destroyed, and the city is safer than ever with two Kryptonians patrolling the skies. But the person flying in Kara’s shadow remains a mystery to Alex, because she hasn’t allowed herself to face it. She’s lost too much in recent years, and Reign has forced her to lose even more. It’s still too overwhelming to try to process. But the most painful loss of all is the idea that this new version of Sam, the one separated from Reign, might not remember the past -- might not remember Alex, or anything they shared -- and it’s a rejection that Alex isn’t sure she can handle right now.

The news clips come fast and furious after that, almost like they’re purposely trying to taunt her. She’s proud of Sam, whoever she is now, as victory after victory for National City’s newest hero absorbs the masses. Alex watches from afar, because it’s the only way she can. She doesn’t miss a headline, but her allegiance is firmly with her sister. Kara, for her part, is quiet about the whole thing, but she too keeps a patient distance from Sam as she patrols with watchful eyes.

They don’t work together, yet. Kara thinks maybe one day they can, but she isn’t ready, and Sam hasn’t asked. Alex wonders if there will ever be a future where Reign is truly gone -- her memory erased from _everyone’s_ minds -- but she isn’t sure that’s in the cards. The public accepts her because they love a scandal, but the inner circle in Alex’s world keeps painfully silent, waiting to see what will happen.

“She’s asking about you,” Kara says one day, a few weeks later. She brings it up casually, and Alex tries to keep the same even-keel to her voice when she responds. Her heart betrays her, as it pounds forcefully against her chest.

“How do you know?”

“Lena told me,” Kara explains. Kara is still processing the change, just like they all are. Alex doesn’t blame her. For Kara, it’s more than just hurt feelings. It’s her livelihood, and her legacy. The worldkillers came from Krypton, and Sam was also her friend. Alex’s reasons for avoidance pale in comparison, but Kara doesn’t push her on it. “She says Sam asks about you all the time. She--” Kara sighs, looking at Alex with sincerity. “She remembers, Alex.”

“I don’t have to see her --”

“You should. If you’re staying away from her for me, don’t,” Kara says. “I have a lot I need to sort out with Sam, and I will. But this is between you and her, and it’s different. She cares about you. And I know you care about her. I can see it all over your face.”

“She almost killed you.”

“Reign almost killed me,” Kara says adamantly. “And she almost killed Sam, too.”

“I’m scared,” Alex confesses honestly. She looks at Kara and feels the way her mouth quivers as she tries to keep the emotions from spilling over. “What if she’s not--”

“I know.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Kara reaches across the table and takes Alex’s hands in hers. She smiles.

“When you’re ready, you should see her. You deserve the chance to be happy, too.”

\----------

Alex knows their paths will cross eventually, especially out in the field. They’re only tempting fate by keeping each other at a distance.

It happens on a Thursday.

The DEO is called down to the bayfront to apprehend a gang of aliens smuggling an unknown substance into National City. It trips the kryptonite heat signature radar, which is cause for concern on all fronts. Alex warns Kara away, because they can’t be sure it’s a false reading and it isn’t worth the risk. The DEO is fully equipped to handle the threat, but even still, Kara watches from a cautious distance.

“If anything happens, I’m going in!” she yells into the com in Alex’s ear.

“Just hold tight!” Alex responds.

They begin to close in on the suspect before Alex notices the movement across the sky. The cape flutters in the wind and a figure lands in front of her -- tall, strong, and painfully familiar. Alex freezes.

It isn’t Kara.

The figure surveys the scene briefly, before springing into action. Alex steps forward, ready to jump in, but her legs feel like they’re stuck in cement. J’onn gives her the order to stand down, and she’s grateful because she doesn’t really think there’s an alternative.

Sam’s movements are fluid and controlled, her body lithe and agile. Alex stands dumbly, supposedly ready for back up, but really in awe of Sam’s prowess. She is much more powerful up close, and faster than they manage to make her look on TV. Alex watches the way her muscles barely strain, the way her breathing is hardly interrupted. She remembers that kryptonite doesn’t have the same effect on Sam, and she wonders what that’s going to mean for Supergirl going forward.

An ally who is potentially even more invulnerable than the girl of steel? A miracle.

Alex brings her attention back just in time to see Sam easily thwart the target, tangling him up enough for the DEO to take him away.

When the scene is clear, she stands with her shoulders back, keeping her eyes trained on the horizon. Alex can only see the side of her face, and the ripple of muscle as she catches Sam clenching her jaw. She knows from all the news montages that her face is probably stoic and calm, but her eyes still carry that bit of spark the way they always did. She swallows the lump in her throat and starts to turn away, promising herself that she won’t cry here. Not in her tactical gear, and certainly not in front of Sam.

She casts one last longing look at the hero in black and red, but her heart leaps to her throat. She’s surprised to find that Sam is looking back at her, her eyes landing directly on hers. When Alex can finally focus, she sees the way Sam’s throat strains as she swallows.

It’s suddenly impossible to turn her back, when Sam’s deep dark eyes are patiently focused on her face, her mouth drawn down in the corners. She nods in Alex’s direction, and Alex feels everything crumble around her. She squares her shoulders and nods to herself, building the confidence to put one foot in front of the other and approach. She repeats to herself that this person might not be a stranger. It’s Sam, she tells herself. It’s Sam, and she’s okay.

She walks up to her tentatively, eyeing the way the material of the suit stretches over each and every lean line of muscle on Sam’s frame. Sam stands stiffly, and Alex notices the way she holds her breath and tries to remain still, her eyes patiently focused on Alex’s every movement. They don’t flash with terrifying red anymore, and Alex exhales softly in relief. Sam’s head doesn’t dare swivel, but her eyes follow as Alex walks in a slow circle, inspecting every inch of Sam’s armored body. She tries to push the terrifying images of Reign out of her head -- the way she looked with the heel of her boot pressed painfully onto Alex’s chest, the snarl escaping over her maroon lips -- and replace them with _this._ A new look, and a new era.

Sam clenches her jaw and waits.

The mask is gone, destroyed with the persona of a bioweapon and a legacy that Sam never had control over. It’s better this way, Alex thinks. The deep, rich brown eyes of the hero -- and that’s what _Sam_ is, a hero -- can be seen clearly now, unobstructed and real. The honey brown locks of her hair flow freely, no longer restricted by the twisted coil of Reign’s braid. The cape hangs behind her, a deeper, darker red than Kara’s, but still a beacon of hope in it’s own way.

She walks still closer, and she swears she can feel the power radiating from Sam’s body, like there’s an electrical current buzzing through her veins, keeping her charged and ready. It’s similar to what happens when she stands next to Kara, but she’s so used to it coming from her that the effect has worn off. With Sam, it’s palpable and laced with an undercurrent of feelings that Alex wishes she could control. With a determined frown, she finally reaches out and places a shaky hand on Sam’s chest, right above her heart where the worldkiller crest used to be. There now rests the familiar symbol of the house of El, attached to a shoulder plate with a strap pulled snugly across her body. She knows Lena crafted the suit in her lab, the symbol an attempt to unify, given with Kara’s blessing even though forgiveness is still a process. Alex traces over the letter, the ‘S’ that brings the world so much hope, and the one that means redemption for the woman in front of her. She curls her fingers into a fist.

“It’s really you?” Alex whispers softly, afraid to hear her own voice. She doesn’t want to shatter this moment, and have it all come crashing down around her. She’s still afraid that something will go wrong, even if she doesn’t want to admit it out loud.

Sam’s soft fingers gently guide Alex’s chin up, coaxing their eyes to finally meet up close. Alex takes a deep breath before allowing herself to fall into the soft, understanding face of the girl she thought she lost. Sam smiles sadly at her, the tears getting caught in her long eyelashes as she nods.

“It’s me,” she replies, her voice the same pitch as Alex remembers. The tinny manufactured voice of Reign is dead and gone. “I’m still me.”

Alex slowly runs her hands through Sam’s hair, brushing it behind her ear as she tries to understand the words. _It’s me_. She brings her fingers to Sam’s face and strokes over the soft skin of her cheeks, feeling her for the first time in ages, or perhaps for the first time ever. Sam’s eyes flutter closed as she leans into Alex’s touch.

“You’re a hero,” Alex says, and the dam breaks in her chest. She chokes back a sob as the tears escape from her eyes. She doesn’t try to wipe them away.

“I missed you so much,” Sam says softly, and Alex’s heart continues to break.

“I’m sorry it took me so long,” she replies and Sam’s eyes open slowly.

“Don’t--” she says, her finger reaching out and touching Alex’s lips. “It’s okay.”

She lowers her hand, and Alex stares up at her before reaching out and pulling her face toward her, desperate to feel Sam’s lips on her own -- to remember what they taste like, and remember everything they were just getting used to having -- _before_. Sam kisses her with controlled intensity, and it’s only different because Alex can feel all the emotion put into it from both sides. She melts into Sam’s arms and feels the way they wrap around her waist and pull her even closer. The space between their bodies disappears as her cape billows protectively around them.

The photograph spills across the front page, and the headlines scream for better angles, wondering aloud about the mystery agent caught kissing the newest star of the city.

Alex would ordinarily feel claustrophobic but today it feels like she’s walking on air.

\-------------

Sam is still built like a goddess, her body unbreakable, with legs for miles and a tongue that makes Alex’s body unravel, which is something she _definitely_ remembers from before. Suddenly, she’s wild and unhinged, pawing at Sam frantically, eager to have that feeling again; Sam’s body pressed against hers, her hips thrusting, her fingers composing perfect symphonies against her skin.

“And I was afraid you didn’t miss me,” Sam manages to joke, her tongue devilishly close to Alex’s ear. “You’re so hot, Alex.”

Sam tugs at her shirt, and Alex tries to get out of it as quickly as possible, the sound of ripping material echoing through the room as Sam finally pulls it free.

“Whoops--” Sam says against Alex’s lips. She tosses the garment over her shoulder. “I hope that wasn’t expensive.”

“Screw that,” Alex rasps, reaching around her neck and pulling her closer. “Come here.”

It all comes rushing back in vivid flashes -- all the nights they spent together before, and all the ways Sam would make her body quiver. Alex _clearly_ made a conscious effort to put most of it out of her mind when they were apart, but now that Sam is back, and she’s hers, Alex feels the way her body comes alive and practically vibrates with want. She shivers involuntarily, and Sam pauses.

“Are you okay?” she asks, pulling back cautiously. Her eyebrows furrow and Alex feels her heart flutter in her chest. Despite the agony of being painfully turned on, the reminder that Sam is still Sam -- sweet, gentle, patient Sam -- sends Alex reeling.

“I’m great,” Alex insists. She pulls Sam back in and whispers into her ear. “I want you.”

Sam grins and Alex lets herself get pushed down onto the mattress, with Sam quickly following, her arms flexing as she lowers herself gracefully. Alex cranes her neck to kiss her deeply, reveling in the way Sam’s teeth slowly nip at her lower lip, and the way her tongue slightly pushes against her mouth, daring Alex to let her take control.

As soon as Alex gives her an inch, their kisses turn hot and open-mouthed, as Sam’s tongue glides easily along Alex’s own, her hips pressing against Alex’s in perfect rhythm with her mouth. Alex runs her hands over Sam’s toned back, scratching desperately as she tries to decide what part of her to touch first. She runs her fingers over muscular shoulders and upper arms that seem sculpted from marble, before finally working her hands along Sam’s ribs and then settling on tracing the deep indent along the muscles of her lower back. Sam moans against her lips as she arches slightly, which sends a jolt straight to Alex’s core.

“Fuck, Alex,” Sam breathes, her mouth quickly returning to Alex’s neck. Her teeth scrape delicately along, teasing and biting as she covers her tracks with warm swirls of her tongue. Alex feels the hotness of her breath and the pleasurable sting of pain as Sam continues to mark her skin. She tosses her head back to give Sam more to work with, her hips bucking in tandem with every hard bite of Sam’s teeth.

Alex already feels the pressure building deep in her abdomen, her clit pulsing as she tries to gain leverage against Sam’s muscular thigh. Sam knows her body, and has it memorized, which is something that sends a tingling sensation through all of Alex’s muscles as she clenches. She feels Sam’s hand begin to slide down her torso, pressing into her skin and leaving a scorching trail of goosebumps in their wake. Her fingers curl teasingly over her hip bone and scratch maddeningly along her inner thigh as her lips plant kisses down Alex’s sternum. Alex groans, ready to protest and beg for more, but Sam simply smirks, bringing her lips back up level and kissing her silent. Her fingers continue their agonizing tease back up her thigh as her tongue licks a dangerous line from her throat to her chest, before finally swirling around her nipple. Alex practically sees stars as Sam’s tongue works its magic, and she almost forgets about her wandering hand until Sam’s fingers trail a slow stroke along Alex’s slit. It’s enough to send her hips to the ceiling, as she cries out for more.

“You’re so wet,” Sam husks, her voice deep and slow. She looks at Alex for a moment, her eyes dilated with lust, and Alex feels like she might explode if Sam doesn’t fuck her immediately.

“Sam, please --” Alex whines, pushing her legs further apart for Sam to give her release. “I need you…”

“What do you need?” Sam asks, the question hanging heavily in the air as her fingers continue to tease everywhere but where Alex wants them. She circles them dangerously around her entrance, and Alex feels every muscle in her body flex in desperation.

“I need you to fuck me,” Alex manages to gasp, her own hand reaching for Sam’s wrist. She pulls gently and feels Sam exhale sharply as she resists.

“Relax,” she instructs, her smile teasing. She pulls her fingers up to her mouth, coated with Alex’s arousal. She swirls her tongue over them with a smug smile. “You know I know what I’m doing.”

Her confidence in conjunction with the action makes Alex whimper helplessly, and before she can retaliate, she feels Sam shift and bring her hand back between her legs. She pushes inside with two strong fingers, curling them expertly at an angle that makes Alex’s eyes roll skyward. Alex bites her knuckles to keep from yelling as Sam easily works into a rhythm, slowly building then strongly thrusting, her wrist flexing at an impossible speed for Alex to comprehend.

“Don’t stop,” Alex moans, trading her knuckles for Sam’s neck, her teeth scraping against her shoulder. Sam’s fingers practically vibrate deep inside her body, and Alex can hardly remember what words are as she clings to her fiercely. “Don’t stop -- you’re so _good_ \-- Sam--”

Alex feelings herself writhing underneath Sam’s strength as the tension coils deep in her core. Sam coaxes it to detangle with every pulse of her fingers, and just as her thumb presses against Alex’s clit, she feels herself slipping into the white intensity of oblivion, her back arching in desperation as she comes. Sam continues her relentless pursuit, until Alex’s legs are shaking and Sam’s name is the only thing she tastes on her lips; her body finally releasing all the heavy tension from within. Sam eases her down softly, her lips ghosting kisses all the way up her stomach and torso until finally reaching her open mouth.

Alex kisses her long and slow, feeling Sam’s smile as her lips part with unbridled joy. She pushes a little further, Alex a willing participant, stroking the strong line of her jaw with her fingers and not wanting to come up for air just yet.  

When Sam rolls to her side, her fingers trace lazy patterns along Alex’s stomach as she watches her with an awestruck smile.

“Hey,” Alex eventually says, her voice cracking as she tries to curl up on her side and face the hero with the gentle eyes. She clears her throat. “That was -- you -- wow.”

“Hi,” Sam responds, her smile unwavering. “Speechless? I’ll take it.”

“I’ll make it up to you in a second,” Alex promises. “As soon as I can feel my legs again.”

Sam chuckles, scrunching her nose as she leans in and kisses her cheek. “No rush, babe,” she whispers, her fingers gently running over the curve in Alex’s cheek. “We have all the time in the world, now.”

**Author's Note:**

> i might have feelings about handsome sam la la la @stennnn06


End file.
